Category Archives: General

Ray K. Ragan Mobile technology, or mobility as it is referred to by the military, is for the first time, taking a prominent role in defense. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Director, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronnie D. Hawkins, Jr. announced mobility would be one of his eight initial efforts for his agency, which has raised the next question – “how to test and evaluate these technologies before our Nation’s warfighters use them?” For the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC), a U.S. defense organization charged by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to test, evaluate and certify technology and communications systems and products for joint use, this is […]

Army Research and Development Improves Translation Technologies for Military Medics Amanda Rominiecki When providing medical care, it is critical that medics are able to converse with patients about their medical needs. Language barriers make communication a challenge and can hinder the delivery of effective medical care. Without the assistance of a human translator, a medic may not be able to accurately capture enough information to fully address a patient‘s needs. Engineers from the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command‘s Communications-Electronics Research Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) have spent the past year developing strategies and methods for improving machine foreign language translation software in support of military medical […]

U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity HBO2 Project Management Office FORT DETRICK, MD. (October 24, 2012) — The U.S. Air Force, along with partners from McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center and U. S. Army Medical Research and Material Command (USAMRMC), announced the results of the first ever randomized, placebo-controlled trial of hyperbaric oxygen to treat symptoms and cognitive impairments resulting from concussions or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) Oct. 16. The pilot study, released to the public on the Journal of Neurotrauma website, demonstrated that high doses of hyperbaric oxygen 2.4 atmospheres absolute (ATA), given daily over six weeks showed no added benefit in symptom relief of mTBI or […]

In April 2012, the Army announced that a number of its installations had been identified to test a pilot program known as Net Zero. These installations would be a part of the Army’s overall effort to address sustainability and energy security challenges. The program focuses on the critical areas of energy, water, and waste, ideally consuming only as much energy or water as it produces over the year and/or attempting to eliminate waste through an established hierarchy. (See Figure 1) As a full partner in this process, the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) has pilot installations in all three areas of Net Zero: Energy – Fort Hunter Liggett, CA and Parks […]

LTG Jeffrey W. Talley The success of America’s Army relies on the depth of a multicomponent force and will require the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) and Army National Guard (ARNG) to maintain their key role as part of Army force structure. My vision and strategy, outlined in “Rally Point 32,” will enable the USAR to sustain its support to the Total Army and the Joint Force. While the past decade has redefined what it means to be a Reserve Soldier, the Army’s increasing reliance on critical capabilities resident in the USAR has been generations in the making. In the early 1970s, the Total Force policy, also known as the Abrams […]

The Army Reserve’s mission, under Title 10 U.S. Code, is to provide trained, equipped, and ready Soldiers and cohesive units to meet the global requirements across the full spectrum of operations. The Army Reserve is a key element in the Army multi-component unit force, training with Active and National Guard units to ensure all three components work as a fully integrated team. Enabling the Army to do more with fewer resources, by providing a flexible, well-trained, complementary force that can expand and contract to meet the specific needs and challenges of each new mission. Training Soldiers at the highest possible level in one of nearly 200 specific skills to support […]

Kris Osborn The Army is preparing to conduct a second Forward Operational Assessment of its XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement (CDTE) airburst weapon system. Program managers are seeking to expedite development of the system, refine, and improve the technology, and ultimately begin formal production by the fall of 2014, service officials said Sep. 20 at the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE), Fort Benning, GA. The weapon fires a high-explosive airburst round capable of detonating at a specific, pre-determined point in space near an enemy target hidden or otherwise obscured by terrain or other obstacles. “The XM25 brings a new capability to the Soldier for the counter-defilade fight, allowing him to […]

Introducing DACM News We are proud to present the new Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM) News, an online newsletter providing pertinent and timely career development information to the Army Acquisition Workforce on new offerings, changes, and opportunities in one document. The first DACM newsletter is at http://asc.army.mil/web/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DACM_Newsletter_Sept12.pdf. Education and Training Opportunities The Competitive Development Group – Army Acquisition Fellows (CDG/AAF) announcement will be open through Nov. 15 to all eligible personnel in grades GS-12 through GS-13 or broadband/pay equivalent positions who are level III certified in any career field. The (CDG/AAF) program provides expanded training, leadership, experiential, and other career development opportunities. More information is at http://asc.army.mil/web/career-development/programs/competitive-development-group-army-acquisition-fellowship/announcements/. The Acquisition Leadership […]

Mitch Chandran With budgetary uncertainty looming, the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command’s (SDDC’s) Quality Assurance Branch is focusing its efforts now to advance its processes and gain efficiencies. The branch, part of the Strategic Business Directorate, is responsible for evaluating and monitoring more than 1,200 motor carriers from the transportation industry that are approved to transport government cargo for DOD shippers. SDDC provides expeditionary and sustained end-to-end deployment and distribution solutions for surface shipping of DOD equipment and supplies to warfighters worldwide. Branch Chief Maureen Carlo and her team of 10 transportation experts manage myriad programs designed to ensure that carriers doing business with the government comply with U.S. […]

In August, U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) celebrated its 50th year of providing America’s warfighters with the decisive edge. AMC’s mission is to develop, deliver, and sustain materiel to ensure a dominant Joint Force for the United States and our allies. While our mission has remained the same over the past half-decade, we are a fundamentally different organization than we were at our inception, and much of that change has occurred over the past 10 years. AMC has evolved into a Globally Networked Logistics Command, with forces deployed around the world. Our position as the Army’s Lead Materiel Integrator (LMI) makes us a key enabler for global materiel management. The […]